Written Answers Monday 14 July 2008

Scottish Executive

Ambulance Service

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what additional ambulances are to be made available to provide the new rapid transport service to Hairmyres Hospital or the Golden Jubilee National Hospital for patients with a myocardial infarction for whom primary angioplasty is to be the intervention.

Nicola Sturgeon: This work is being taken forward by the West of Scotland Regional Planning Group and implementation planning is still being progressed by the partners involved, including the Scottish Ambulance Service.

Ambulance Service

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive when the findings of the review into the Scottish Ambulance Service proposal to reduce the night shift air ambulance crew from two to one crew member will be known.

Nicola Sturgeon: Following their proposal to operate single crewing for night missions of the air ambulance helicopters, the Scottish Ambulance Service were asked to review this from both a health and safety and clinical risk perspective.

  The service will continue to audit clinical aspects of air ambulance activity to ensure appropriate and safe crewing arrangements, and this will be the subject of further discussion at the annual review of the Scottish Ambulance Service which I will chair later in the year.

Ambulance Service

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers any move to single-crewed air ambulances for night shifts to be safe for both (a) patients and (b) ambulance staff.

Nicola Sturgeon: Following their proposal to operate single crewing for night missions of the air ambulance helicopters, the Scottish Ambulance Service were asked to review this from both a health and safety and clinical risk perspective.

  The service will continue to audit clinical aspects of air ambulance activity to ensure appropriate and safe crewing arrangements, and this will be the subject of further discussion at the annual review of the Scottish Ambulance Service which I will chair later in the year.

Cancer

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people in the NHS Ayrshire and Arran area were screened for bowel cancer in (a) 2002, (b) 2003, (c) 2004, (d) 2005, (e) 2006 and (f) 2007.

Nicola Sturgeon: NHS Ayrshire and Arran joined the Scottish Bowel Screening Programme in September 2007. Data on the number of people screened is not currently centrally held. Data on the programme will be published in due course on the Information Services Division (ISD) website www.isdscotland.org .

Communities

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive which communities in Glasgow are benefiting from the Cash Back for Communities scheme.

Fergus Ewing: We are at present providing £2.238 million of funding under CashBack for Communities to the Scottish Football Association to roll out a range of free football activities across Scotland. These activities address playing and coach/volunteer development work. Events in Glasgow include Soccer One programmes across 23 schools in Glasgow, summer street football in July 2008 in the Springburn area and Midnight League which ran from January to May 2008 and covered 11 locations in Glasgow including Kelvin, Springburn, Govan, Shettleston and Maryhill. Further information is available on the CashBack website, www.cashbackscotland.com .

  Regarding the agreement with YouthLink to administer the £3 million local grant scheme, I announced on 13 June 2008 the successful applicants for round one funding. They included the following organisations from Glasgow: Temple/Shafton Youth Project; Junction 12; Castlemilk Youth Complex; Reidvale Adventure Play Association; Barnardo’s Scotland; Dalmarnock Youth Project; Cranhill Arts Project; The Pavillion, and The Sound Lab; which were awarded a total of £103,711. The full list of successful applicants can be found on the YouthLink Scotland website, www.youthlink.co.uk.

  Further activities will be announced over the course of this year, including free rugby activities in every local authority area in Scotland as part of our deal with the Scottish Rugby Union.

Communities

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide details of how the Cash Back for Communities scheme is operating in Glasgow.

Fergus Ewing: We are at present providing £2.238 million of funding under CashBack for Communities to the Scottish Football Association to roll out a range of free football activities across Scotland. These activities address playing and coach/volunteer development work. Events in Glasgow include Soccer One programmes across 23 schools in Glasgow, summer street football on Wednesday afternoons in July 2008 and Midnight League which ran January to May 2008. Further information is available on the CashBack website, www.cashbackscotland.com .

  Regarding the agreement with YouthLink to administer the £3 million local grant scheme, I announced on 13 June 2008 the successful applicants for round one funding. They included Temple/Shafton Youth Project, Junction 12, Castlemilk Youth Complex, Reidvale Adventure Play Association, Barnardo’s Scotland, Dalmarnock Youth Project, Cranhill Arts Project, The Pavillion and The Sound Lab; which were awarded a total of £103,711. The remainder will be distributed during round two, which has a closing date of 26 September 2008.

Drink Driving

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what additional financial support is proposed to assist police forces to deal with testing drivers for drink driving.

Kenny MacAskill: There are no plans to provide additional financial support to assist police forces to deal with testing drivers for drink driving. It is for chief constables to allocate sufficient funding for this from within the resources available to them.

Efficient Government

Iain Gray (East Lothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what it defines as the difference between efficiency savings and funding cuts.

John Swinney: Our published efficiency guidance is quite clear. Efficiency is about enhancing value for money, improving public service delivery and raising productivity. There are two types of efficiency:

  Cash-releasing efficiencies are achieved by delivering an actual resource efficiency because the organisation or function delivers the same service at a reduced cost which might be demonstrated by delivering the same outcome(s) or output(s) for a reduced input, for example costs, people, procurement, assets etc, or delivering a reduced unit cost allowing an increased volume of service for the same cost.

  Time-releasing or productivity efficiencies are defined as efficiency measures which do not release cash but allow public services to deliver better services with the same money (for example, through workforce reform or better support).

  Certain types of activity do not count as efficiency gains:

  Cuts that result in poorer or reduced public services.

  Increased income from higher fees and charges to the public.

  All efficiencies should be supported by quality based assessments to demonstrate they are efficiencies and not cuts.

  This guidance is reiterated in the introduction to our Efficiency Delivery Plans. Both of these publications are available on the internet at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Government/PublicServiceReform/efficientgovernment/EG08-11.

European Union

Kenneth Gibson (Cunninghame North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it will initiate with Her Majesty’s Government following the Republic of Ireland’s decision to reject the EU Reform Treaty.

Linda Fabiani: I attended the meeting of the Joint Ministerial Committee (Europe) on 17 June 2008 where Ireland’s decision to reject the EU Reform Treaty was discussed. I presented the Scottish Government’s position on this matter to ministers of the UK Government and to ministers of the devolved administrations of Northern Ireland and Wales.

  The Scottish Government takes the view that the UK Government should have held a referendum on the EU Reform Treaty. It believes that the Irish referendum outcome demonstrates the impact that small member States can have and that it is important for the European Union to respect the views of all countries no matter what their size. The Scottish Government has urged the UK Government to argue for the removal of the conservation of marine biological resources from the list of exclusive EU competences and to treat this as a red line issue in any renegotiation or amendment of the treaty.

G8 Summit

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken to put pressure on the G8 leaders to keep their promises made at the G8 summit in Gleneagles on 8 July 2005.

Linda Fabiani: We have highlighted the importance of achieving the Millennium Development Goals within the scope of our current devolved powers.

  We have also ensured that our international development policy, launched on 7 May 2008, places achievement of the Millennium Development Goals at its core and this is supported through our increased International Development Fund.

Historic Sites

Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to preserve the art of drystane dyking.

Linda Fabiani: While dry stone dyking is without question a key part of the rural amenity, there are other areas of extreme skills shortage. Historic Scotland is actively involved in measures to assist industry in ensuring that there are suitably trained operatives to maintain both traditional and historic buildings, and the associated landscapes in which they sit. Over the last two years officials in Historic Scotland have facilitated development of a national progression award in the conservation of traditional masonry and intend to develop similar qualifications in other key traditional trades.

  Presently a qualification and curriculum authority approved dry stone dyking qualification is being delivered in Scotland as part of the lantra trade certification scheme. Present providers for this qualification include Banff and Buchan College, Glasgow Metropolitan University, Barony College and Oatridge College. It is hoped that other colleges with a rural focus will take up the delivery of this qualification. Historic Scotland is also working with the Dry Stone Walling Association to develop basic technical guidance on dry stone walling as part of the Historic Scotland INFORM publication series.

Hospital-Acquired Infection

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when the Dumbarton and Vale of Leven Reporter first contacted the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing, her private office or her press office about the outbreak of clostridium difficile at the Vale of Leven Hospital.

Nicola Sturgeon: The Dumbarton and Vale of Leven Reporter first contacted me at my MSP e-mail account at 10:49am on 6 June.

Hospital-Acquired Infection

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing signed off her quote for the Dumbarton and Vale of Leven Reporter on clostridium difficile at the Vale of Leven Hospital.

Nicola Sturgeon: I approved my response to the enquiry from the Dumbarton and Vale of Leven Reporter by e-mail at 14:45pm on 6 June.

Hospital-Acquired Infection

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing sent her quote on clostridium difficile at the Vale of Leven Hospital to the Dumbarton and Vale of Leven Reporter.

Nicola Sturgeon: My response to the Dumbarton and Vale of Leven Reporter was sent by e-mail at 15:46pm on 6 June.

Hospital-Acquired Infection

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action (a) the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing and (b) NHS Scotland took to deal with the outbreak of clostridium difficile at the Vale of Leven Hospital following the public announcement on 22 May 2008 of a review by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the statement I made to the Parliament on 18 June 2008.

Hospital-Acquired Infection

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the timescales were for the detection and reporting of clostridium difficile at (a) Stobhill Hospital, (b) Aberdeen Royal Infirmary and (c) the Vale of Leven Hospital.

Nicola Sturgeon: Mandatory national reporting of clostridium difficile cases by laboratories was established in 2006. These require all NHS boards to submit clostridium difficile data to Health Protection Scotland on a monthly basis.

Hospital-Acquired Infection

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many deaths occurred in Scotland as a result of clostridium difficile (a) in 2006, (b) in 2007 and (c) up to June 2008, broken down by (i) NHS board and (ii) hospital.

Nicola Sturgeon: It should be noted that it is unusual for clostridium difficile to be an isolated cause of death, as a range of contributory factors are normally involved. Data for 2007 and 2008 is not yet available. The following table shows data where clostridium difficile was recorded as the underlying cause of death on death certificates in 2006 only, broken down by NHS board and hospital.

  

 NHS Board
 Hospital
 Number of Deaths


 Ayrshire and Arran
 
 5


 
 Ayr Hospital
 1


 
 Ayrshire Central Hospital
 1


 
 Crosshouse Hospital
 3


 Borders
 
 3


 
 Borders General Hospital
 3


 Dumfries and Galloway
 
 6


 
 Annan Hospital
 1


 
 Dumfries/Galloway Royal Infirmary
 5


 Forth Valley
 
 8


 
 Falkirk & District Royal Infirmary
 6


 
 Stirling Royal Infirmary
 2


 Fife
 
 10


 
 Queen Margaret Hospital
 5


 
 Victoria Hospital
 5


 
 Non-Hospital
 1


 Grampian
 
 9


 
 Aberdeen Royal Infirmary
 4


 
 Doctor Gray’s Hospital
 2


 
 Woodend Hospital
 3


 Greater Glasgow
 
 36


 
 Gartnavel General Hospital
 3


 
 Glasgow Royal Infirmary
 3


 
 Inverclyde Royal Hospital
 4


 
 Royal Alexandra Hospital
 6


 
 Southern General Hospital
 2


 
 Stobhill Hospital
 6


 
 Vale of Leven Hospital
 1


 
 Victoria Infirmary
 6


 
 Victoria Infirmary, Geriatric Unit
 2


 
 Western Infirmary
 2


 
 Western Infirmary, Beatson Oncology Centre
 1


 
 Non-Hospital
 3


 Highland
 
 2


 
 Raigmore Hospital
 2


 Lanarkshire
 
 26


 
 Coathill Hospital
 2


 
 Hairmyres Hospital
 12


 
 Monklands General Hospital
 6


 
 Wester Moffat Hospital
 1


 
 Wishaw General Hospital
 5


 
 Non-Hospital
 2


 Lothian
 
 40


 
 Astley Ainslie Hospital
 2


 
 Corstorphine Hospital
 1


 
 Ellen’s Glen House
 1


 
 Findlay House
 1


 
 Liberton Hospital
 11


 
 New Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh
 11


 
 Royal Victoria Hospital
 5


 
 St John’s Hospital
 1


 
 Western General Hospital
 7


 Tayside
 
 11


 
 Arbroath Infirmary
 1


 
 Ninewells Hospital
 9


 
 Royal Victoria Hospital
 1


 
 Non-hospital
 2


 Scotland
 
 164


 
 Hospital
 156


 
 Non-Hospital
 8

Hospital-Acquired Infection

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there have been any changes to the prescribing of antibiotics at the Vale of Leven Hospital since the outbreak of clostridium difficile.

Nicola Sturgeon: I am advised by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde that following an urgent review of the use of antibiotics at the Vale of Leven Hospital, a further modified antibiotics policy is now in place. These revised procedures are consistent with the prudent prescribing of antibiotics guidance that was published by the Healthcare Associated Infection Task Force in 2005.

Hospital-Acquired Infection

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people make up the infection control team for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and what their positions are.

Nicola Sturgeon: I am advised by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde that there are 36.2 whole-time equivalent infection control nurses (for both acute and primary services), 5.4 whole-time equivalent infection control doctors, one general manager and one assistant general manager across NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. The board also employs a consultant nurse in infection control, an infection control manager and a hand hygiene co-ordinator.

Hospital-Acquired Infection

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive why there is only one nurse based at the Vale of Leven Hospital who is solely responsible for infection control.

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people now make up the infection control team based at the Vale of Leven Hospital and what positions they hold.

Nicola Sturgeon: I am advised by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde that prior to April 2008 there were two infection control nurses employed at the Vale of Leven Hospital - the lead nurse for Clyde (operational base) and the infection control nurse for the Vale of Leven Hospital.

  The lead nurse for Clyde had responsibility for the whole of the Clyde area of the NHS board and was not solely for the Vale of Leven Hospital. The lead nurse retired and her position has been filled by an infection control nurse based at the Royal Alexandra Hospital. Support is also provided, as and when required, by senior infection control nurses based at the Royal Alexandria Hospital and the Inverclyde Royal Hospital.

Hospital-Acquired Infection

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what arrangements NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has in place for the times when the one infection control nurse at the Vale of Leven Hospital is (a) off-duty, (b) absent from work due to illness or (c) on annual leave.

Nicola Sturgeon: I am advised by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde that periods of absence are covered by other infection control colleagues within the service.

Hospital-Acquired Infection

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive why no specialised infection control team was immediately set up at the Vale of Leven Hospital as soon as NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde learned that there had been deaths at the hospital caused by clostridium difficile.

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers the employment of one infection control nurse covering all infection monitoring at the Vale of Leven Hospital to be sufficient and whether it considers that NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde should increase the number of people in the infection control team based at the Vale of Leven Hospital.

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that lack of knowledge on the causes, and control measures to prevent the spread, of clostridium difficile among staff at the Vale of Leven Hospital were a contributory factor to its outbreak.

Nicola Sturgeon: It would not be appropriate for me to comment until the independent review announced by me on 18 June 2008 has examined all the circumstances surrounding the clostridium difficile cases at the Vale of Leven. The review team’s report is due to be published by the end of July 2008.

Hospital-Acquired Infection

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether all members of staff at the Vale of Leven Hospital have received training on the causes of clostridium difficile and how it should be dealt with.

Nicola Sturgeon: I am advised by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde that education on management of patients with clostridium difficle has been provided to all staff at ward and departmental level by Infection Control Nurses. Clostridium difficile care bundles and care plans have also been introduced at the hospital and education has been provided on the use of these documents which instruct staff on the safe management of patients. More generally, all staff at the Vale of Leven Hospital are given Infection Control Training as part of their corporate induction and new medical staff are given Infection Control education on induction.

  In addition, the board’s Hand Hygiene Coordinator has audited every department at the Vale of Leven Hospital. Following this recent audit, hand hygiene training has been provided for all staff. The Cleanliness Champions programme is also in place at the hospital.

Hospital-Acquired Infection

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde had been reviewing the staffing of the infection control team at the Vale of Leven Hospital prior to the news of the outbreak of clostridium difficile at the Vale of Leven Hospital being released to the local media.

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any changes of staffing in the infection control team at the Vale of Leven Hospital have been made since the outbreak of clostridium difficile at the hospital, and, if so, when these were made.

Nicola Sturgeon: I am advised by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde that there has been an on-going review of infection control structures and a new structure came into place in May this year.

Hospital-Acquired Infection

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many extra nurses, auxiliaries and cleaners were drafted into the Vale of Leven Hospital to deal specifically with the outbreak of clostridium difficile; how long they remained at the Vale of Leven Hospital to assist, and from which hospitals they drafted in.

Nicola Sturgeon: I am advised by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde that following a meeting of the Outbreak Control Team on 10 June, an additional Infection Control Nurse from the Infection Control Team located at the Glasgow Western Infirmary was based at the Vale of Leven Hospital for a two-week period to help implement the actions agreed by the Outbreak Control Team. The board’s Hand Hygiene Co-ordinator was also based at the Vale of Leven Hospital for a seven day period between 12 and 26 of June.

Housing

Jim Tolson (Dunfermline West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) expenditure and (b) unit approvals in the Affordable Housing Investment Programme are for (i) each local authority area and (ii) Scotland for 2008-09, also showing the distribution of investment for (A) registered social landlords for rented accommodation, (B) registered social landlords for low cost home ownership, (C) other suppliers, (D) new council housing, (E) Glasgow Housing Association’s costs, (F) mortgage-to-rent schemes, (G) Open Market Shared Equity and (H) other programmes.

Stewart Maxwell: Planned expenditure in the Affordable Housing Investment Programme (AHIP) for 2008-09 by local authority area is set out in the answer to question S3W-13606 on 30 May 2008. Planned unit approvals in AHIP for 2008-09 split by local authority area is set out in the answer to question to S3W-13892 on 19 June 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

  It should be noted that 1,563 houses were approved in a four-year programme for the Devanha group of local registered social landlords (RSLs) starting in 2007. This covers all planned starts in Aberdeen City in 2008-09 and most planned starts in Aberdeenshire and Moray in 2008-09.

  The proposed distribution of the 2008-09 AHIP funding split into the categories requested is as follows:

  

 
 Expenditure


 RSL Rent
 313.925


 RSL LCHO
 38.253


 Other Suppliers 
 11.705


 New Council Housing
 0.000


 GHA Costs
 79.300


 Mortgage to Rent
 10.000


 Shared Equity Open Market Pilot
 24.000


 Other Programmes
 15.817


 Total
 493.000



  It should be noted that these figures represent planned allocations and may be subject to change during the course of the year to respond to programme needs.

  The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing’s statement to the Parliament on housing on 25 June 2008 included initiatives to help home owners and to support confidence in the market. She also announced £250 million investment in the Scottish Government’s low-cost Initiative for first-time buyers over the next three years and a £25 million investment in the new home owners support fund over the next two years.

Immigration

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to the UK Government concerning the changes in immigration rules affecting the recruitment of Indian chefs in Scotland.

Linda Fabiani: The Cabinet Secretary for Justice wrote to the Home Secretary on 25 January 2008 to raise concerns that the new system would make it more difficult to employ chefs with specific skills from the Asian sub-continent.

Justice

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when legislation will be introduced to ensure that people negligently exposed to asbestos who develop pleural plaques will be able to pursue a claim for damages in Scotland.

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, under the legislation to be introduced, people negligently exposed to asbestos who are diagnosed with the asymptomatic pleural thickening and asymptomatic asbestosis, will be able to pursue a claim for damages in Scotland.

Kenny MacAskill: The Scottish Government introduced a Bill to the Scottish Parliament to overrule the House of Lords Judgment in Johnston v NEI International Combustion Ltd  on 23 June 2008 .  The Damages (Asbestos-related Conditions) (Scotland) Bill was published on 24 June 2008 and, along with accompanying documents, is available at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/bills/billsInProgress/index.htm.

  The bill also provides that asymptomatic pleural thickening and asymptomatic asbestosis, when caused by wrongful exposure to asbestos, continue to give rise to a claim for damages in Scotland. I am very pleased to be able to provide this confirmation that the Scottish Government has fulfilled its promise to bring forward legislation to ensure that the House of Lords judgment does not have effect in Scotland.

Local Government Finance

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much bond finance has been raised by each local authority in each of the last 10 financial years.

John Swinney: The information requested is not held centrally.

Local Government Finance

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of local authority capital spending was financed by bond finance from (a) 1980-81 to 1989-90, (b) 1990-91 to 1999-2000 and (c) 2000-07 to 2007-08.

John Swinney: Information on the type of borrowing undertaken to finance capital spending is not held centrally.

Local Government Finance

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that local authorities have generally favoured bond finance as a means of raising finance for capital spending and what the reasons are for its position on the matter.

John Swinney: The majority of local authority borrowing outstanding at 31 March 2007 was with the Public Works Loan Board.

Local Government Finance

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what financial advantage local authorities gain from raising bond finance over finance raised through the Public Works Loan Board.

John Swinney: Local authorities have a number of borrowing options available to them. It will be for a local authority, or a group of authorities, to determine whether there is any financial advantage from raising money through bonds over finance raised through the Public Works Loan Board.

Local Government Finance

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what financial advantage local authorities gain from raising bond finance over finance raised through other forms of borrowing available beyond the Public Works Loan Board.

John Swinney: Local authorities have a number of borrowing options available to them. It will be for a local authority, or a group of authorities, to determine whether there is any financial advantage from raising money through bonds over finance raised through forms of borrowing available beyond the Public Works Loan Board.

Local Government Finance

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what differences in administration would be involved in local authorities issuing bonds to finance capital works compared with that for borrowing through the Public Works Loan Board or other available forms of borrowing.

John Swinney: Local authorities are responsible for adopting treasury management policies and practices to ensure effective treasury management arrangements that comply with statutory or other requirements that regulate types of borrowing. It is therefore for each local authority to identify and apply suitable administration arrangements for the issue of bonds compared to borrowing through the Public Works Loan Board or other forms of borrowing.

Local Government Finance

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what new statutory powers it envisages giving to local authorities to raise finance for capital spending.

John Swinney: Local authorities have not indicated to the Scottish Government that the existing statutory powers are inadequate for their needs. As such no new statutory powers are envisaged.

Local Government Finance

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what authorisations or permissions local authorities require, and from which regulators, in order to issue bonds to finance capital spending.

John Swinney: Local authorities have a statutory power to borrow money through the issue of bonds by virtue of the provisions contained within the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1975.

Local Government Finance

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what form of financial guarantees local authorities will be required to provide as security for any bonds that they may issue to finance capital spending.

John Swinney: The Local Government (Scotland) Act 1975 requires that all monies borrowed under any statutory borrowing power are secured upon the whole funds, rates and revenues of the authority and not otherwise, and all monies borrowed by the authority by whatever method shall be deemed to have the same charge and security and rank equally.

Local Government Finance

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive which local authority personnel will decide the rate of return to be offered on any bonds issued for the purpose of financing capital spending.

John Swinney: This will be a matter for local authorities as corporate bodies.

Local Government Finance

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it proposes to impose any controls on the freedom of local authorities to issue bonds to finance capital spending.

John Swinney: A local authority is under a statutory duty to determine and keep under review the maximum amount it can afford to allocate to capital expenditure. This requires a local authority to determine the maximum amount it can afford to borrow, irrespective of the type of borrowing. They are also responsible for adopting treasury management policies and practices to ensure effective treasury management arrangements that comply with statutory or other requirements that regulate types of borrowing. The current statutory arrangements, together with existing treasury management codes of practice, do not indicate a need for the Scottish Government to intervene.

Local Government Finance

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the issuing of bonds to finance capital spending falls within or outwith the terms of the code for prudential borrowing.

John Swinney: The Local Government in Scotland Act 2003 places a local authority under a duty to determine the maximum amount which it can afford to allocate to capital expenditure. Regulations issued in 2004 require a local authority to have regard to The Prudential Code for Capital Finance in Local Authorities issued by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy in determining the maximum amount it can afford to allocate to capital expenditure. The objectives of the prudential code are that the capital investment plans of a local authority are affordable, prudent and sustainable. Borrowing, by way of bonds or otherwise, therefore falls within the terms of the prudential code.

Local Government Finance

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any finance raised by local authority bonds will be additional to any finance raised under the local authority prudential borrowing code or would displace other funds that could have been raised under the code but by means other than the issuing of bonds.

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any finance raised by local authority bonds is in any way additional to the funds that local authorities can currently raise for the financing of capital spending.

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much bond finance it will allow local authorities to raise beyond sums that they can currently raise to finance capital spending.

John Swinney: A local authority is under a statutory duty to determine and keep under review the maximum amount it can afford to allocate to capital expenditure. This requires a local authority to determine the maximum amount it can afford to borrow, irrespective of the type of borrowing.

Local Government Finance

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions have been held with individual local authorities about their willingness to issue bonds for the financing of capital spending outwith their own local authority area.

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions have been held with individual local authorities about their willingness to issue bonds for the financing of capital spending outwith the statutory purposes for which they are responsible and how each local authority responded.

John Swinney: An early activity for the Scottish Futures Trust, when it is set up this summer, will be to enter into discussions with local authorities about the development of a local authority bond issue.

Ministerial Visits

Margo MacDonald (Lothians) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to the first supplementary to question S3O-3776 by Linda Fabiani on 19 June 2008 ( Official Report , c. 10008), whether it will list whom she met during her visit to Paris.

Linda Fabiani: During my visit to Paris on 3 June, I had meetings with the Scottish Development International team based in Paris; representatives of the Global Scots and Global Friends of Scotland networks, and Denis Simonneau, the Directeur de Cabinet for the French Minister for Europe, and took part in the handover of Glasgow’s bid for UNESCO City of Music status. The other attendees at this event included the Lord Provost of Glasgow, members of the bid team, and the United Kingdom, Spanish and Indian Ambassadors to UNESCO.

Ministerial Visits

Margo MacDonald (Lothians) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to the first supplementary to question S3O-3776 by Linda Fabiani on 19 June 2008 ( Official Report , c. 10008), whether it will publish the agenda of topics discussed at the meeting in Paris.

Linda Fabiani: I met Denis Simonneau, the Directeur de Cabinet for the French Minister for Europe in Paris on 3 June. There was no formal agenda for the meeting. The main items discussed were the priorities for the French Presidency of the European Union, and the proposal for a "Union for the Mediterranean" that was agreed in principle by the Spring European Council.

NHS Staff

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when the consultant microbiologist left the Vale of Leven Hospital.

Nicola Sturgeon: I am advised that the Consultant Microbiologist left the Vale of Leven in early 2002. I would also refer the member to the answer to question S3W-14335 on 14 July 2008.

  All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

NHS Staff

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when the vacancy for a consultant microbiologist at the Vale of Leven Hospital was filled.

Nicola Sturgeon: I am advised by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde that there is no vacancy for a Consultant Microbiologist post at the Vale of Leven. Since the former Argyll and Clyde Health Board’s laboratory clinical reorganisation in 2004, this position has been covered by the Consultant Microbiologists at the Royal Alexandria Hospital and the Inverclyde Royal Hospital.

National Health Service

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has an equivalent governance framework to the Code of Practice for NHS Trusts issued by the Department of Health.

Nicola Sturgeon: A governance framework is in place in NHSScotland. NHS boards are required to have governance arrangements in place to cover their corporate and clinical responsibilities.

  NHS boards are required to provide assurance that robust governance arrangements are in place for the purpose of safety, quality and probity. Organisations such as NHS Quality Improvement Scotland and Audit Scotland provide scrutiny of these arrangements and offer development and improvement support.

National Health Service

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether NHS Scotland has core standards which NHS boards should meet and are legally enforceable.

Nicola Sturgeon: NHS boards are required to meet certain statutory requirements including a duty of quality. In addition, NHS boards are expected to take account of a range of standards and guidance, including those issued by NHS Quality Improvement Scotland in the planning and provision of NHS services.

Parliamentary Questions

Michael McMahon (Hamilton North and Bellshill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what dictionary definition of "total" it uses when responding to parliamentary questions.

Bruce Crawford: The meaning of the word "total" is commonly understood.

Parliamentary Questions

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how much each parliamentary question costs, on average, to answer.

Bruce Crawford: A review of the calculation of the average cost of answering a parliamentary question is currently underway. The last time such an exercise was conducted, in 2002, the average cost was calculated to be £65.18.

People with Dementia

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding has been allocated by each NHS board to providing services for people with dementia over the period of the current spending review.

Shona Robison: Spend on dementia and other mental health services will continue to be drawn from the record funds allocated to NHS boards and local government overall. In this respect funding is set to rise to record levels with the overall Health budget increasing from £10.6 billion in 2008-09 to £11.5 billion in 2010-11. Similarly, Local Government funding will rise from £11.2 billion in 2008-09 to £12 billion in 2010-11.

  It is the responsibility of these agencies to work in partnership and to allocate funds from the total financial resources available to them on the basis of local needs, priorities and agreed targets, including the Scottish Government’s key strategic objectives and commitments, which includes priority attention to dementia and mental health.

  Specifically, a new HEAT target from this year commits NHS boards to achieve agreed improvements in the early diagnosis and management of patients with a dementia by March 2011.

People with Dementia

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people in Grampian were diagnosed with dementia in (a) 2002, (b) 2003, (c) 2004, (d) 2005, (e) 2006 and (f) 2007.

Shona Robison: Information is not available centrally for 2002 to 2005. Figures for the year ending March 2007 are available from the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) of the new General Medical Services contract.

  Within the QOF, GP practices in Scotland maintain registers of patients that they know to have dementia. The total number of persons included on QOF dementia registers, across all Grampian general practices, for 2006-07, was 3,275.

  This figure may include non-Grampian residents who are registered with Grampian practices, and may exclude Grampian residents who are registered with a practice outwith Grampian.

  This count may be comprised largely of patients who have more severe dementia and/or who have been in secondary care with or because of their dementia. It will not include undiagnosed cases or sufferers that have not come to the attention of their general practice. This and evidence from elsewhere suggests that the total of 3,275 included on QOF dementia registers for Grampian practices is likely to be an undercount of the true prevalence of dementia in the Grampian population.

Scottish Futures Trust

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the reference on page 18 of Taking Forward the Scottish Futures Trust to the Scottish Futures Trust as a conceptual idea, whether any other SNP manifesto commitments were conceptual ideas.

John Swinney: Yes, the proposals for a Scottish oil fund were based on a model that works well in Norway and in other forms in other states and indeed some regions internationally. The SNP manifesto set out the concept and broad approach. This is now being taken forward in a more detailed study within government. We are currently pressing the UK government for a fair share of the estimated £5 billion plus windfall revenues from Scotland’s oil and gas resource which would provide us with £500 million to establish an oil fund. This would see the concept set out in the SNP manifesto become a reality with significant benefits for the people of Scotland. The Scottish Government looks forward to support from all parties in the Scottish Parliament for our request to the UK government.

Scottish Government

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive who it has appointed as Parliamentary Liaison Officers, by portfolio.

Bruce Crawford: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-11317 on 27 March 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Wildlife

David Stewart (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to underwrite the costs for the trial re-introduction of beavers should sufficient funds not be raised for the project by the Scottish Wildlife Trust.

Michael Russell: There are no plans for the Scottish Government to underwrite the cost of the trial reintroduction of beavers should insufficient funds be raised by the project partners, the Scottish Wildlife Trust and the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland.

Wildlife

David Stewart (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive why it is not fully funding the costs for the trial re-introduction of beavers, with the Scottish Wildlife Trust being responsible for the management and fundraising for the project.

Michael Russell: This trial reintroduction of beavers is a project that was devised and proposed by the Scottish Wildlife Trust and the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland. It is right therefore that these organisations should bear the cost of the project. Scottish Natural Heritage are funding some of the costs associated with monitoring the project. There was no question of the Scottish Government funding the project itself.

Wildlife

David Stewart (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it will take to ensure that the re-introduction of beavers does not adversely affect the Atlantic Oakwoods special areas of conservation.

Michael Russell: The licence given to the SWT and RZSS includes 31 conditions. A significant number of these conditions were included as a result of an appraisal of the beaver trial undertaken by Scottish Natural Heritage in relation to the special area of conservation (SAC) and the special protection area (SPA). If the beaver trial is undertaken strictly in accordance with the licence conditions, then the trial will not adversely affect the integrity of the SAC/SPA.

Wildlife

David Stewart (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, in view of the fact that the beaver is protected and cannot therefore be culled, how beavers would be removed if serious problems emerge during their trial re-introduction.

Michael Russell: Guidance from the European Commission makes it clear that small populations of an animal species introduced deliberately or accidentally by man to locations where they would not have spread to naturally in the foreseeable future should be considered to be outside their natural range and consequently not covered by the Habitats Directive. Similarly, the beavers would not be protected under Scots law as they are not considered to be ordinarily resident in the wild in the UK during the trial reintroduction period.

Wildlife

David Stewart (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment has been made of the risks of beavers carrying diseases which may affect the wild salmon population and what specific measures are in place to minimise the risks.

Michael Russell: Gyrodactylus salaris (G. salaris) is a parasite of fish which requires a fish host to survive. Beavers are considered to be only potential external carriers of the parasite (i.e. G. salaris does not parasitise beavers).

  While in the statutory six months rabies quarantine, the beavers will also undergo a series of health checks and health screening, tests. Additionally, while in quarantine, and as an extra precaution, the beavers will have access to baths for them to swim in, containing a solution of full strength sea water. The ectoparasite cannot survive in sea water, which is why infection cannot be spread through the natural migration of fish, through the sea.

  Furthermore, beavers will be taken from a Norwegian population which is currently reported as being in an area free of G. salaris.

Wildlife

David Stewart (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the best estimates are of the (a) direct, (b) staff and (c) ancillary costs to Scottish Natural Heritage for each year of the beaver re-introduction trial.

Michael Russell: Scottish Natural Heritage’s (SNH) participation in the beaver trial is set out in the conditions of the licence. SNH is currently identifying the core elements that need to be monitored during the trial. However, although it has the key role in coordinating such work, it does not necessarily have to provide all the resources. SNH therefore intends to hold further discussions with the licence applicants, together with other parties who may be involved with the monitoring, to discuss resourcing issues.

  Therefore, at this stage, details of the direct, staff and ancillary costs to SNH for each year of the beaver re-introduction trial have still to be worked out.